Doctor Who: Ranking The Christmas Specials From Worst To Best
3. The End Of Time (2009/10)
David Tennants final farewell as the Doctor is about as devoid of Christmas cheer as a sweltering, mid-July afternoon, so the two-parter is remembered more as a series finale than a Christmas special. The highlights of the episode, like the previous entry, lie greatly within the brilliant performance from David Tennant as the Doctor. Tennants famous pre-regeneration words, I dont want to go, sum up the heartbreaking unwillingness of the Doctor for his own song to end, something that is underlined beautifully by Tennants portrayal. One of the final scenes in particular underscores Tens arc perfectly, as his outburst of rage and grief at the unimportant Wilf gives way to the realization that perhaps he really has lived too long. Wilfred Mott, an unexpected favourite played by Bernard Cribbins, is an excellent companion, both hilarious and heartfelt in turn. Fans of the RTD era will undoubtedly pick The End of Time as a favourite, but, despite many triumphs, it does fall flat in minor ways. The return of the Master, portrayed far more effectively by John Simm this time around, and the Time Lords, including Timothy Daltons masterful Rassilon, is gratifying and largely well-executed, however there is something unforgivingly bizarre - even for Doctor Who - about the Masters grand plan to turn everybody into himself, and the episode is ultimately bogged down by such stretches. Nevertheless, the scope of the episode is positively epic, and more importantly the heart of it manages to remain intact. The return of and visit to Gallifrey, looming ominously in Earthly skies, was incredibly exciting as well as the exploration of the Time Lords oft-mentioned Last Great Time War and its devestating consequences. Add a sense of disastrous history to the atmosphere of prophetic doom (he will knock four times) plus the anger, grief, and resignation of the Doctors last farewells, and this is one for the history books.
Canadian student. Spends probably an unhealthy amount of time enthusing over musicals, unpopular TV shows, and Harry Potter. Main life goal: to become fluent in Elvish.
